So I was watching this serial killer movie set in London called Tony. Interesting but not great movie.

However, it called to my attention something I never knew. Apparently you need to pay a license fee to operate a television in the U.K. I'm sure all our British friends on this board find this as nothing new, but I had never heard about it before. I was actually a bit shocked. If a licensing fee for television in the States was proposed we might just end up with a completely new electorate. I think the NRA would have a run for their money in vociferousness if it was ever suggested that television should require licensing fees. (Americans love their television.)

So what did you never know about other countries that you were surprised to find out?

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Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them. It gets up and kills. The people it kills, get up and kill.

I just found out that St Petersberg in Russia has an 'Anti-Gay Propaganda' law in which it's illegal to produce any material that may be 'pro-gay' even if it is something as simple as having a rainbow in a picture. Weird and scary.

In Australia they call ketchup "tomato sauce". Which raises the obvious question: What the heck do they call tomato sauce?

That reminds me. A couple of years ago, when I was in Finland, I learned that they call, what we call a moose here in North America, they call an elk. What they call an elk, or even if they have elk in Finland, I never found out.

I also found out, in that part of the world, pickup trucks are not common. They are so rare, that even English speakers have a hard time understanding the concept of pickup truck.

In much of France the police, fire department, postal workers, even some of the local road repair crews come around and shake everyone down for money by going to people's houses and leaning on them to buy these super-overpriced items. Everyone knows it's a payoff but almost everyone goes ahead and buys the clocks, calendars, wine, car window shades, whatever the case may be at a 500% markup, because records are kept of who bought what, and that's remembered if ever you call the police about something. In a country that quietly moves along under a system of gifts/bribes, the practice seems to be mostly shrugged off by natives as a sort of under the counter taxation that keeps up good will and lubricates civic relations.

Apparently you need to pay a license fee to operate a television in the U.K. I'm sure all our British friends on this board find this as nothing new, but I had never heard about it before.

We do the same in SA: a license costs R250 (about $25) yearly. The amount you pay is commensurate with the number of sets you have. Never mind that I almost never watch our local main broadcaster's programs.

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I used to say I live my life a quarter mile at a time and I think that's why we were brothers- because you did, too. No matter where you are, whether it's a quarter mile away or half way across the world. The most important thing in life will always be the people in this room. Salute mi familia. You'll always be with me... And you'll always be my brother.